A delegation of the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN), led by the President General of Prince Adewale Adeyanju, fnli HFCPSP, executives of the National Road Transport Owners (NARTO) and the National Association of Truck Operators (NAMTOP) has paid a courtesy visit to managers of the Lagos ports as well as to Apapa Ports Police Command.
A statement on Thursday by the MWUN said that key among the discussions was the welfare of the truck drivers, which the stakeholders considered as very important.
“The question of proper identification of drivers and their trucks was addressed as against the previous modus operandi of drivers having more than one plate number for a truck, which was said to have impeded the smooth operations,” the statement reads in part.
While the body of the three groups assured the port managers that such ugly practice would never be allowed to happen again, the Port Manager of Tin-Can Island Port, Mr. Sylvester Egede expressed gratitude that Adeyanju led the delegation on a visit to his office.
Meanwhile, the body seized the opportunity to inform the port managers that it was the constitutional right of the Union to issue tickets to its truckers within the port zones, a duty that no other group should take upon themselves.
“…of course, the collaboration seriously emphasized that it is the exclusive right of the Union as stipulated in its constitution as ticketing for its truckers is within the ports zones only and not for any external body outside the ports to come into the ports for such revenue drive as it is against the ports regulations, as the ports are regulated by the federal government of Nigeria and as such are not under the state or the local governments authority,” the statement adds.
Speaking also, the Apapa Port Manager, Mr. Charles Okaga, noted that the port corridors had become freer from traffic congestions as a result of efforts, but regretted that the e-call up systems is still not perfect.
He spoke on considering a review of the structure in order to make the system more efficient while he charged the truckers to be sincere and disciplined in the course of their operations, to ensure sanity in the port operations.
Also, the Commissioner of Police, Port Command, CP Lanre Ishola, was briefed about the challenges by truck drivers in the hands of security agencies particularly outside the ports zones, where outrageous extortions from truck drivers are reportedly at alarming rate. The collaboration appealed to the police chief to use his good office to check this anomaly confronting the truckers.
Responding, the police boss said that anything beyond 200mtrs distance from the port area are not under his jurisdiction, but that if such incident happened within the port, the matter should be reported to him directly.
He, however, promised to look into the allegations holistically and when and where found to be true, he would assist by taking the matter to the Lagos State Police Command.
The police boss urged the body made up of the three groups to ensure working within the provisions of the law on the welfare of the truck drivers and the robust package of condition of service.
On behalf of the body, Prince Adeyanju appreciated the police boss and expressed the group’s willingness to work in cooperation to ensure peaceful trucking operations within the ports.
